Our Story
The Innovators’ Network to Enable Human Rights (INHR) was born out of the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI)’s report Enabling Rights: The Transformative Potential of Digital to Enable People’s Rights. This extensive report details the potential of information and communications technology (ICT) to support those working to advance civil, political, economic and social rights around the world. It highlights specific digital technology solutions that are being applied to address a wide range of pressing human rights challenges affecting billions of people. The report calls for the ICT industry to work with human rights defenders to develop, promote, and apply technology for human rights.
A key recommendation in the report is to create the Innovators’ Network to Enable Human Rights (INHR). The mission of the INHR will be to coordinate the collective capabilities of ICT industry leaders, human rights organizations, policy-makers, academia, and social innovators, to accelerate and scale up the development and application of technology that enables human rights. This means working to increase digital access and literacy, including educating people on how to better use technology to protect their rights. This online platform aims to foster a network of relevant stakeholders’ seeking to promote the opportunities presented by scaling-up innovative technologies that support human rights. It will share examples of technology solutions, good practices, tools and information for those interested in advancing and defending rights.