Today the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice announced a new strategic partnership, which will include key areas of joint work and enhanced collaboration. The two organizations have a history of impactful cooperation, such as the establishment of the RIGHT Coalition and the Empty Box campaign. This partnership will formalize the collaboration.
The Lantos Foundation was established to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, whose life embodied moral clarity in the face of tyranny. Lantos survived the horrors of the Holocaust as a teenager and escaped life under communism in Hungary to become one of the most impactful voices for human rights in American public life. Like its namesake, the Lantos Foundation serves as a principled and courageous voice for human rights and justice around the world.
“The Lantos Foundation and HRF share so much in common in terms of our mission and focus, and I have always had tremendous admiration for HRF’s bold and creative approach to human rights advocacy,” said Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett. “In so many ways, our organizations have complementary expertise and capacities. We’ve seen the benefits of joining forces in the past, and it is the logical next step to turn our regular collaboration into a formal partnership where we can better plan and execute joint initiatives. I’m very excited about everything our teams will achieve together.”
“The Lantos Foundation has long been a principled and effective voice for human rights, particularly in its engagement with democratic governments and its leadership on freedom of religion or belief,” said HRF President Céline Assaf-Boustani. “By formalizing our partnership, we are bringing together two organizations with complementary strengths — HRF’s focus on authoritarian regimes and the Lantos Foundation’s deep experience in policy and advocacy. Together, we can amplify the voices of frontline activists and push democratic governments to take stronger action in defense of fundamental freedoms.”
The strategic partnership will initially focus on two primary areas of work, with room to expand the collaboration in the future. These will include:
Strengthening Global Government Advocacy: Since its establishment, the Lantos Foundation has made government advocacy a primary focus of its work. With this partnership, HRF and Lantos will combine efforts on government advocacy in Washington and beyond to extend the impact of HRF’s programs and campaigns and create more robust engagement with democratic governments around the world. These joint government advocacy efforts will also include the creation of a Washington segment of HRF’s Freedom Fellows mentorship program and will mark an exciting progression from the Lantos Congressional Fellows program. The new Washington segment will provide frontline human rights activists with invaluable training, experience, and connections to help strengthen their own government advocacy efforts, in the US and beyond.
Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief in Authoritarian Regimes: Through a newly established joint program, HRF and Lantos will shine a spotlight on religious freedom violations taking place under authoritarian regimes throughout the world. The Lantos Foundation’s longtime engagement on religious freedom issues and HRF’s unique research and on-the-ground understanding of authoritarian countries will combine to create a program that seeks to protect and advance this sometimes overlooked human right. The program will elevate freedom of religion or belief in HRF’s work and research, including at the Oslo Freedom Forum, and seek to raise the profile of religious freedom issues within the broader human rights and democracy ecosystem. In keeping with the Lantos Foundation’s past advocacy, it will span the full range of religious communities, faith traditions, and belief systems, recognizing that conscience rights must also guarantee the right to freedom from any particular belief in theocratic societies.
The new strategic partnership between HRF and the Lantos Foundation will be strengthened by the merging of key staff resources, with two senior Lantos Foundation employees taking on dual roles at HRF. Executive Director Chelsea Hedquist will also serve as the Head of Communications Strategy at HRF, while Director of Policy and Partnerships Candace Bryan Abbey will assume the role of Head of Global Government Engagement. The dual reporting structure will allow for streamlined integration of the key programs and initiatives of the partnership.
