As threats to the very freedoms human rights and democracy defenders are trying to protect are growing, the work under growing pressure is felt around the world.
Building the next generation of skilled, connected defenders isn’t optional; it’s essential to sustaining the movement itself. This is exactly the what the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) was built around.
The 2026 IHRTP is officially underway in Chiang Mai !
After months of preparation, the 43rd edition has officially started. For the first time, the training will be held outside of Canada, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and over the next 11 days, 88 participants from across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe will take part in one of Equitas’ flagship participatory training program, grounded in a human rights-based approach and designed to then turn knowledge into action back home.
This year’s cohort reflects the diversity the program is built to welcome: women, non-binary people, men, people who identify as LGBTQI+, and people with disabilities, with more than half between 18 and 35 years old.
What a precious moment this is, in this whirlwind of digital platforms and disinformation that so often isolate us, to gather over 100 people; participants, facilitators and team members, to connect face to face, to listen, to share emotions and experiences. These exchanges, this humanity, they create living knowledge, a collective strength that they will carry back with to their communities, where their work continues and where they are awaited
It is their voices, their experiences, and their local struggles that take the lead at the IHRTP. Each and every one of the participants is already an agent of change in their community, often in complex, and at times, dangerous contexts.
Equitas’ ambition is clear: that they leave this program strengthened in their skills, expanded in their vision, and perhaps transformed in their practice. That they go home with concrete approaches, adapted to their realities, to act with even more clarity, impact, and confidence.
Follow along over the next few days
As we share more from this year’s participants, learn how you can support the next generation of human rights defenders through Equitas’ training programs.
A global network of human rights educators 🌎
While this edition is held in partnership with Forum-Asia and Sangsan foundation, this training program is part of the project S’Unir, an international initiative implemented with the support of Global Affairs Canada.
