Emergency Protection:
Standing with Human Rights Defenders When It Matters Most
Our Emergency Protection Programme provides rapid, practical, and survivor-centred support to human rights defenders, activists, journalists, whistleblowers, victims of human rights violations, and communities facing immediate threats because of their work, identity, or efforts to seek justice.We believe protection is more than a technical intervention. It is an act of solidarity.When people are targeted for defending rights, exposing abuse, or speaking truth to power, they should not be left to navigate danger alone.
HOW WE PROTECT
RAPID EMERGENCY RESPONCE
We maintain emergency response mechanisms that allow at-risk individuals to seek assistance quickly and confidentially.
Our team conducts rapid risk assessments, coordinates support, and activates appropriate protection measures as quickly as possible.
Our objective is straightforward: ensure that no one facing imminent danger is left without support.
SAFE SOLIDARITY SHELTERS
Sometimes remaining in the same environment is no longer safe.
Where necessary, we coordinate access to temporary safe accommodation, emergency relocation support, and referral pathways through trusted protection partners.
These interventions are carefully planned to prioritise safety, dignity, and the wellbeing of those affected.
LEGAL SUPPORT / FACILITATION
Many defenders and activists are targeted through legal harassment, arbitrary detention, or politically motivated prosecutions.
We facilitate access to legal representation, support case monitoring, assist families seeking information about detained individuals, and help connect affected persons with trusted legal practitioners and human rights organisations.
When rights are violated, solidarity must include access to justice.
HOLISTIC SECURITY TRAINING
We provide holistic security training for human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and community leaders, covering physical safety, digital security, legal preparedness, psychosocial wellbeing, and narrative security.
Our approach recognises that effective protection requires addressing not only external threats but also the personal and collective wellbeing of those working in challenging environments.
Why Emergency Protection Matters
Across Zimbabwe and the wider SADC region, individuals who challenge injustice often face intimidation, harassment, surveillance, arbitrary arrest, violence, and other forms of retaliation.Many operate with limited resources and little institutional support. When threats escalate, access to legal assistance, safe accommodation, security advice, or emergency financial support can mean the difference between safety and serious harm.Yet the period immediately following a threat or attack is often when support is hardest to access.The reality is simple: crises do not wait for office hours.Effective protection requires speed, trust, and a network of people willing to act when someone is at risk. That is the gap Solidarity Network was created to fill.
Beyond Protection:
Building Networks of Solidarity
Emergency protection is not only about responding to danger.It is about ensuring that people know they are part of a wider community that will stand beside them when challenges arise.We believe that defenders are safer when they are connected. Communities are stronger when they support one another. Victims are more resilient when they know they are not alone.For this reason, our work extends beyond emergency interventions. We help build relationships, strengthen support networks, and connect people to the resources, organisations, and allies that can sustain them over the long term.