Human Rights

Globally, democracy is under pressure. In this issue of the Boell.Thema magazine, we introduce individuals who inspire us with their dedication to democratic values. Because without dedication and action, there can be no democracy. And without democracy, everything is for naught.

The ESC, one of the biggest media events in Europe, has always been political. This dossier examines this dazzling parallel universe of equal rights for all, which at the same time holds up a mirror to Europe.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The Heinrich Böll Foundation is committed to ensuring that all individuals know their rights, can assert them, and defend them. ➤ On this page, you will find current articles, publications, and thematic focuses on human rights.

This dossier series by the Global Support for Democracy Unit aims to amplify and spread knowledge about the political involvement of youth in their respective regions and to contribute to international support mechanisms that meet the needs of young advocates for democracy.

This dossier aims to amplify and spread knowledge about the political involvement of youth in Latin America and to contribute to improving international support mechanisms for ‘Young Advocates For Democracy’ (YA4D).

This dossier aims to amplify and spread knowledge about the political involvement of youth in Africa and to contribute to improving international support mechanisms for ‘Young Advocates For Democracy’ (YA4D).

This dossier aims to amplify and spread knowledge about the political involvement of youth in the Asia-Pacific and to contribute to improving international support mechanisms for ‘Young Advocates For Democracy’ (YA4D).

In four digital conversations, central aspects of a postcolonial relational ethic between Africa and Europe will be discussed. After the introductory session on the content and direction of decolonisation, it will be about cooperation after the restitution of colonial looted property. The third discussion asks about fair conditions for reciprocal mobility between the continents. The last dialogue of the series deals with African and European attitudes towards the human-nature relationship.

Colonialism as an unjust system and its consequences continue to shape the relationships between Africa and Europe to this day. Unfortunately, the examination of the colonial legacy is still in its early stages in Germany.

In crisis situations, the level of gender-based violence increases. During the Covid pandemic, multiple factors such as curfew or financial dependence have also increased the risk of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.

Reproductive rights are often not enough. In order to achieve reproductive justice, more is needed than self-determination rights on paper. That is what we intend to achieve with this focus.