Building movements for
Just, inclusive and
life-sustaining societies
Who we are
Hivos is a human rights and social justice organization driven by humanist values. We were founded in 1968, at the height of the global wave of social and political mobilizations in the 1960s that laid the foundation for new progressive civil society movements worldwide.
What we do
Hivos strengthens and resources organizations and movements with the potential to improve a broad range of human, civil, and political rights. In particular, if they are directly at risk of being targeted or if they have the potential to spark popular mobilization for a transformative progressive agenda.
How we work
Our key partners are movements and civil society actors, including NGOs, informal groups, independent media, cultural actors and human rights defenders. We see them not as passive beneficiaries, but as co-creators of change, bringing legitimacy and lived experiences.
Support change-makers
Help us strengthen social justice movements, support change-makers who confront systemic oppression, and throw a lifeline to activists in danger.
Latest developments
EU SEE data supports civil society actors to lead the fight back for fundamental freedoms
EU SEE members predicted an impending perfect storm of conditions that would seriously threaten the infrastructure of global civil society. Now, one year later, we have the EU SEE data to prove it.
Change underway for communities in Colombia
Colombia has signed the Escazú Agreement, a treaty that gives citizens the right to access environmental information, participate in decision-making and seek justice in environmental matters.
Women and girls’ rights are meaningless without enforceable justice
We see this price paid in the Middle East, where over 161 million women and girls are living in countries shattered by conflict, and over 1.6 million pregnant women are currently struggling to survive under the threat of escalating violence.