For people to come together and drive social change for the collective good, they need safe spaces, free from all acts of intimidation, harassment and reprisals, whether online or offline.

Last month, we asked you to tell us if you feel you can safely campaign on the issues you care about where you live.

Globally, 54% of people who responded said they feel safe, while 25% said they don't and 20% said they aren't sure. The country where supporters said they felt the least safe was the United States, with 32% of Americans reporting that they don't feel safe campaigning.  

While the percentage of supporters who don't feel safe campaigning in the UK were the second highest, the reasons they gave were very different.

Those who reported not feeling safe in countries outside the US, stated concerns over their safety and freedoms being restricted by their governments.  

"Changes to recent laws about democratic protests mean I’m afraid to stand up for my rights," said one UK supporter.

A Nigerian supporter responded, "Across Africa, governments are still shutting down internet access and placing bans on social media platforms that activists campaign about key socio-political issues. Part of our government's responsibility is to create safe spaces for citizens to speak up, be heard and contribute decisions on the issues they care about." 

However, in the US, supporters are most concerned for their safety from other citizens, not their government.

One US supporter said, "I live in a very conservative state where people are often attacked, both verbally and physically, for expressing an opinion that is divergent from the mainstream values...".   

Wherever we live, our right to speak out against injustice is fundamental to living in a free and peaceful society. In this series, Protecting Protest: We Need All Hands on Deck, writers examine how citizens' right to protest is being threatened and why we must fight to protect it.

Things we love:

🚐 Summer is coming to an end, but ONE activists really made it count! Here's a whistle stop tour of their GenerAction summer road trip urging world leaders to rewrite the future for the better.

👩🏾‍⚕️ In Uganda, Nurse Rose works tirelessly to treat her patients with tuberculosis. She reminds us that “There is no time to lose in the fight against TB.” This is what her day really looks like.

🎤 Badass climate activist Vanessa Nakate puts ministers from the world’s richest countries on the spot and asks them if they will commit to loss and damage funding for countries hit hardest by climate disasters at COP27.

🇱🇧 Let Me Keep My Childhood is a grassroots campaign fully led by constituencies that are affected by child marriage. Find out how they've successfully worked with Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian communities to prevent child marriages. 

Things you can do:

💪 After her diagnosis with HIV, Maurine was told she only had 6 months to live. Now, over two decades later she is living a normal life thanks to the work of The Global Fund. Meet survivor and activist Maurine.  

🚺 The Women Deliver 2023 Conference is offering scholarships to support gender equality advocates to attend in person or online. Preference will be given to individuals in low- and middle-income countries and/or from populations disproportionally affected by discrimination, who are working to advance gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women. The deadline is 1 October.

🗳 With elections taking place across the world this year, the question of how political parties are building people power is more important than ever. Join this webinar from the Leading Change Network to explore lessons around organizing in politics with examples from Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom. 

📝 ONE Champions are our young activists across Africa. They are campaigning for governments and financial leaders to take action for a global economic recovery that leaves no country behind. Join their call by adding your name to their open letter- with 1 click! Here's an extract:

People Changing the World

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Doreen Moraa. I’m 30 years old and I live in Nairobi, Kenya. I have been a ONE Champion for a few months. I joined because I’m a passionate HIV/AIDS advocate and I believe in ONE's mission to end preventable diseases, like HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, by 2030. 

Can you tell us about the work you do? 

HIV-related stigma is a barrier to people accessing treatment. As someone who lives with HIV, I champion normalizing the HIV conversation and increasing access to prevention, care, and treatment. 

My digital initiative, “I Am A Beautiful Story,” brings together the voices of other people living with HIV and highlights our amazing lives beyond our diagnosis.

I feel so proud that from an idea I had to create HIV-related content on social media, I've contributed to the growth of digital health-related advocacy and have been able to work with global organisations like the International AIDS Society's Youth Hub. 

Why is ending extreme poverty and preventable disease important to you? 

When people live in extreme poverty, they're more vulnerable to preventable diseases. Most people struggle to afford healthcare services, which in turn increases levels of extreme poverty because the diseases will also affect the breadwinners of the family. 

To end extreme poverty and preventable disease, every family needs to have a reliable, stable income to afford proper healthcare and education services.

How do you stay motivated? And how do you like to spend your time outside of work?

I consistently use social media, so it’s very hard to stay motivated sometimes. But I take breaks to recharge. The messages I get from people saying that I've lifted their spirits and helped make their lives living with HIV easier keep me going.

Outside of work, I enjoy sampling new restaurants, travelling to new destinations, and I've recently enjoyed a storytelling podcast called “No Name Podcast Ke” that makes me laugh a lot. 

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