Today, we publish ‘We Are EachOther’, our new strategy for 2021 and beyond. It lays out what EachOther stands for, explains our medium-term plan and signals our future direction.
We believe human rights matter, and there is more that unites than divides us. As 2021 approaches though, our rights are under sustained attack. Powerful politicians plan to dismantle them, Brexit is set to erode them and popular newspapers have undermined them for years. The Black Lives Matter movement has shown how far we still have to go to make real the right to protection from discrimination in this country. Meanwhile, as Covid-19 ravages the nation’s health, lockdowns curtail our rights and freedoms in ways that demand scrutiny.
Against that backdrop, EachOther’s story-telling puts the human into human rights. We tell news stories that inform and personal stories that inspire and, in doing so, we build public understanding and support for human rights. We hope that more people will then speak up for our rights when they are threatened, putting pressure on politicians to do the same. By creating the conditions for more people to stand up for their rights, we can defend our human rights architecture whilst cultivating a culture of human rights in the UK. This, in turn, can open up the possibility of the UK acting as a beacon for human rights on the global stage.
We empower those whose rights are endangered to tell their own inspirational stories. By amplifying their voices, we can help people connect across perceived divides.
Andy Hull, Chief Executive, EachOther
Our theory of change recognises there is a spectrum of public opinion towards human rights in the UK. Nonetheless, rights protect everyone, so we strive to reach into every section of society. Our film-making and independent journalism generate a wide range of multimedia content on our website and social media channels to engage a host of different audiences. We empower those whose rights are endangered to tell their own inspirational stories. By amplifying their voices, we can help people connect across perceived divides.
Our approach is to open minds by pushing boundaries and introducing people to different perspectives. We try to educate people about their rights, without patronizing them. We endeavour to support people to speak for themselves, rather than speaking for or over them. We are optimistic, prize conversation over confrontation, and hope to help build a movement rather than acting alone. We are unafraid to experiment in terms of form and style, but will not compromise on journalistic rigour or integrity. Our aim is to ensure that, post-pandemic, the position held by human rights in the public imagination is better than it was before.
EachOther’s business plan for 2021 has five components:
- build on our existing strengths and successes – both written and video
- expand our range of state-of-the-art assets – including audio, to articulate the relevance, importance and immediacy of human rights
- forge partnerships with those who share our values to lift each other up – collaborating internally between teams and externally with like-minded organisations to harness each other’s prowess and access each other’s networks
- drive the organisation to the next level by growing strategically, not only in terms of output and people, but also quality – modelling best practice in both our operation and governance
- raise more funds to maximise our impact, putting our medium-term finances on a stable footing, securing multi-year core funding from trusts and foundations, while diversifying our income streams
Briefly, we will expand our reach; broaden the range of people in our audience; and ensure we make a difference to individuals and at scale.
Our strategy puts the human into human rights. It fosters a solidarity born of respect for each person’s equal dignity and worth. EachOther’s mission is to make human rights more than an abstract, legal concept. We show how the human rights that are tested in courtrooms are exercised and violated in the world around us every day. Our rights are something we must flex and exercise: ignored and unused, they can wither. The challenge is greater in a time of social distancing and an era of virtual communication, but the aim of our work is to kindle empathy. That way, we can show we are not alone. We are EachOther.
Andy Hull
Chief Executive
EachOther
16/12/20
