Apply to Innovation Challenge 2019

Civil Rights Defenders is excited to announce the opening of our annual Innovation Challenge! The competition, which is financed by the Swedish Postcode Lottery, is open for anyone to apply. The mission is to develop ideas that strengthen some of the world’s bravest people. The winner, or winners, will all have the chance of receiving a grant of up to 300,000 Swedish Krona.

The world’s oppressors keep finding new and increasingly sophisticated methods to silence the voices of those standing in the front line to defend human rights. Creative and innovative ideas to enhance the work of human rights defenders are urgently needed. Through the Innovation Challenge, Civil Rights Defenders is looking to create a platform for ideas that contribute to the safety and security of human rights defenders, as well as to increase their efficiency.

“By organising the Innovation Challenge, we are calling on all human rights defenders to share their creative solutions and to help others stay one step ahead. An important aspect for the competition is to keep it defender-centric, starting from everyday situations that human rights defenders find themselves in,” says Mathias Antonsson, Project Manager for the Civil Rights Defenders Innovation Initiative.

To the Innovation Challenge 2019, applicants can apply within three broader themes:

• • Slacktivation – within this theme, we seek ideas on how to activate the slumbering masses to become engaged supporters of a human rights cause. This could also entail supporting an idea that tries to create a new movement around a cause.
  • Data Visualisation – this theme is all about innovative ideas or tools to package data to make nice reports, evidence-based arguments or advocacy. We are also open to creative ways of measuring impact.
  • Gender Equality – equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also key to a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future. We are seeking ideas that strives towards creating equal access and opportunities to resources and decision-making structures.

The Innovation Challenge was first organised in 2017 and is now in its third year. Last year, a total of 101 creative applicants entered the competition. In the end, four successful applicants shared the award and the projects have received prize money to be used for implementation.

In addition to organising the Innovation Challenge, Civil Rights Defenders aims for innovation to permeate our everyday work. Within this framework, we have developed several projects that support human rights defenders in innovative ways. One example is Natalia Project – the world’s first alarm and positioning system for human rights defenders at risk. Civil Rights Defenders has also developed a database that enables for human rights defenders to document, visualise and analyse human rights violations in a more efficient way.

Thank you!

The Innovation Challenge 2019 is financed by the Swedish Postcode Lottery. #postkodeffekten