About Alkarama for Human Rights

Who are we ?

Alkarama (Dignity) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 2004 by a team of volunteer lawyers and activists on human rights to help ensure the promotion and protection of human rights, especially in the Arab World.

Initially created as a society, it was registered as a Swiss Foundation in June 2007.

Our Vision

Make Alkarama a credible and effective organization, international in scope, representing a refuge for victims of violations of human rights in the Arab world to recover their rights and to campaign for governments to respect these rights.

Our Mission

Working for the promotion and protection in the Arab world of the values of justice, equality before the law and respect for the dignity and human rights and to liberate the citizen from persecution and fear.

For whom we are ?

For all victims regardless of their race, religion or ideology. For all those whose rights to life, physical and moral integrity and freedom are threatened.

Our goals

• To provide information on human rights violations in the Arab world;
• To provide moral and judicial assistance to the victims of those violations;
• To pursue the perpetrators of these violations and fight impunity;
• To encourage, and if need be campaign, governments to respect human rights;
• To propagate a culture of human rights in Arab societies and make citizens aware of their constitutional rights and the means for protecting them;
• To train human rights defenders;
• To support any initiative tending to reinforce the protection of citizens against human rights violations.

Although Alkarama is concerned with the promotion of human rights within a holistic sense, there are certain areas the organisation chooses to concentrate its efforts on. Indeed, Alkarama has set as a priority to use the tools of international law, including the United Nations mechanisms, to help the victims of the following violations of human rights:

1. Extra-Judicial Killings
2. Enforced Disappearances
3. Torture
4. Arbitrary Detention and Unfair trials
   

Alkarama views its role as being part of the whole international movement of human rights, thereby recognising the importance of all others working for this noble cause. Cooperation between Alkarama and organisations with similar objectives is something not only desired, but a position that is actively sought.

Alkarama has offices and representatives in Geneva (Switzerland), London(UK), Beirut(Lebanon), Doha(Qatar) and Sanaa(Yemen) as well as many correspondents and volunteers in all Arab countries.

Alkarama Main office :

Alkarama for Human Rights
2bis Chemin des Vignes
CH-1209 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel.:+41 22 734 1006
Fax.:+41 22 734 1034
email : geneva (at) alkarama.org