Our Story
Why are we doing this?
HFRN was set up after a year working with vulnerable migrants, refugees and displaced people throughout Europe.
After working in Dunkirk for almost a year, I was shocked at the lack of documentation we as volunteers felt able to do, that day after day we witnessed numerous incidents that often went unrecorded. Either due to lack of know how regarding how to, or lack of time and resources.
We witnessed countless rights violations including:
Police brutality
Failure to provide adequate medical care
Lack of sanitation and drinking water
No shelter or adequate sanitation
No education or access to state provided education
Lack of information regarding asylum and legal status
Failure to protect: citizen violence against refugees not investigates
Criminilisation of asylum seekers, and failure to adequately investigate potential crimes
Lack of child protection and the consequences of this including suspected trafficking and sexual exploitation.
These types of incidents are witnesses directly by numerous volunteers and refugees working and living in the camps and informal settlements throughout Europe.
We worked to refer cases and incidents where possible, trying hard to use the expertise of larger NGOs operating in the field, working together to come up with solutions for immediate problems. Referrals of children alone, and other vulnerable young people were made to authorities.
But what of the evidence? What of everything seen, heard, experienced or suffered? What happens after this lived experience, and how will there ever be accountability for those responsible?
Like so many other horrific events in history, without the work of citizens and survivors alike placing emphasis on recording each and every lived experience of these events, would justice ever be possible? Would we learn from what was done, to work towards protecting our rights against those who try to violate them?
After taking some time out of working in the camps across Europe, and taking stock of this experience, talking to many other volunteers and groups we have come to know during this time, I was left with a question. Are they going to get away with it?
This the intention to work together to ensure that there is an opportunity to record these incidents, and a place to send this evidence in order to use it to effect change.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, we must find new ways to talk about what is happening, that this treatment, although of course morally wrong, is, in many cases unlawful.
As an organisation our intention is to train those witnessing or suffering these abuses in how to gather accurate, admissible evidence of the countless and varied incidents taking place throughout Europe, which may constitute a violation of our most basic human rights.
Our goal is to connect those in places where these violations and violent incidents are taking place, with the tools and resources they need to document what they are witnessing.
These stories, these accounts are being lost, buried or ignored. We must work together to ensure that they are not lost.
What benefit is there to displaced people in doing this?
Therapeutic: telling someone what happened to you. I am heard, catharsis, someone is listening.
Recognising the collective power of bearing witnes
OUR FOUNDER
Maddie began working in Dunkirk and Calais in September 2015. She spent a year supporting the refugees stranded in conditions often described as the works in Europe, before travelling to Greece, spending some months in a camp near Thessaloniki. On returning to the UK Maddie sat up HFRN to provide a central, accessible and legitimate network which can house and collate evidence of human rights violation. Her goal is to ensure that anyone and everyone can see the truth, scale and depth of wide spread human rights violations. And that those effected have a voice and a chance to document what is fleeting and hidden but no less brutal or wrong.... just added a bit - change it but needed more.
WHO ARE WE?
We are volunteers, NGOs lawyers, doctors, social workers, teachers, activists, aid workers and humanitarians: human beings.
We are a group of ordinary people who believe in the power of bearing witness. Who will not stand by and allow these violations to continue; who believe that our voices are stronger together.
We are anyone who believes that those volunteering across Europe are well placed to be recording these abuses. An often un-tapped resource of witnesses in need of support in doing so.
THE TEAM
Maddie Harris- Director and Founder
Joe Cripps- Research and Development Assistant Intern
Rosie Riches – Social Media Intern
Mark Wilding – Journalist
Olly Honess – Social Media Advisor
ADVISORS (need to contact for bios and permission).
Annie - Help Refugees
Rowan – Founder, Refugee Info Bus
Nicola – Human Rights Lawyer, Garden Court Chambers.
Pru Waldorf – We are One: Collective
Toni Brodelle – Psychologist