What we do

HuMENA works in five areas across the Middle East and North Africa and with communities in exile. Each area below says what we do, who it is for, and which publications come out of it.

Five areas of work

  1. Civic Space & Freedoms

    Working to defend and expand the space where civic actors operate, protecting freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly across the MENA region and its diasporas.

  2. Protection of Defenders

    Standing with human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and activists facing risk, through documentation, advocacy, and protection-oriented support across the MENA region.

  3. Digital Rights & Civic Tech

    Defending free expression and privacy online, exposing surveillance and digital authoritarianism, and equipping civil society with the tools to operate safely in the region.

  4. Inclusive Governance & Justice

    Building accountability through evidence: supporting transitional justice, fair trial standards, judicial independence, and the inclusion of those most often left out of public decisions.

  5. Diaspora & Exile Engagement

    Bridging activists in exile with their countries of origin, countering transnational repression, supporting safe engagement, and amplifying voices forced to operate from abroad.