Defending Dissent

About This Project

Facing a growing attack on dissent around the globe, human rights advocates are engaged in a creative and critical fight to defend fundamental rights and freedoms. On April 13-14, 2017, the Robert L. Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law hosted an event called Defending Dissent: Human Rights and Civil Society in the Global Crackdown. This conference brought together leading human rights activists, lawyers, and scholars from India, China, Russia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Turkey, and Egypt to share legal strategies on safeguarding crucial spaces for dissent. These strategies encompassed various forms of resistance, including litigation, legal empowerment, network building, and leveraging the Internet.

HELM Studio partnered with the Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law to capture the 2-day event through film and photography as well as disseminate information with a custom built event website.