Exile Hub and Open Briefing have launched a mentoring programme for counsellors and mental health professionals in Myanmar and Thailand. The programme responds to critical gaps in both the community-based mental health system available to activists in exile and their families, and in the training for psychologists and counsellors in both countries. Open Briefing and Exile Hub will also help establish new peer support networks for human rights defenders and journalists living in exile in Thailand.
Tag: wellbeing
Strengthening wellbeing support for Myanmar’s activists in exile
Open Briefing is delighted to feature this guest post from our partner the Exile Hub, a nonprofit established in the aftermath of the 2021 coup in Myanmar. Human rights defenders and journalists face numerous threats. Organisations like Open Briefing and the Exile Hub offer vital support and resources to those fighting for justice and freedom.
Decolonising wellbeing support: Insights from our 2024 peer supporters training programme
Expanding the use of peer supporters in organisations and social movements is key to enhancing individual and collective wellbeing. In order to encourage much wider uptake, we launched our first open training programme for peer supporters in February 2024. As part of this, we offered fully-funded places to individuals from grassroots organisations and movements.
A helping hand: Why your organisation or movement needs wellbeing peer supporters
The constant threat of physical, digital, or psychological harm means that poor wellbeing and resilience is a very real danger among activists and advocates. One of the best ways we can help is by expanding the use of peer supporters within our organisations and movements.
7 ways to protect your wellbeing as a human rights defender
In the face of closing civic space and increasing attacks against human rights defenders, we need to start viewing acts of personal resilience as acts of resistance! Here are seven evidence-based actions that you can take to improve your wellbeing and resilience, starting today.
Helping human rights defenders and activists cope with anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most-common mental health problems that we can face. It may be especially prevalent among human rights defenders and activists, as our work is often challenging, risky, and focused on critical issues of importance. Those of us in human rights and social justice movements may also be especially reluctant to seek support around our mental health. In this article, our wellbeing team sets out some advice on how you can support yourself and your co-workers experiencing anxiety.
Psychological First Aid: Guidance for those supporting activists and advocates at risk
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-based approach for assisting people of any age or background in the immediate aftermath of a critical incident or crisis. In this resource, Open Briefing's wellbeing and resilience team offers vital guidance on how to provide PFA to activists and advocates you may be supporting. It also describes common responses to traumatic events and explains self-care measures affected people can follow. It is available online and to download in 10 languages.
Resilience is resistance! New wellbeing webinars for advocates and activists
We must address the laudable but unsustainable culture of self sacrifice within environmental and social movements. We can start to view acts of personal resilience as acts of resistance! To encourage this shift, Open Briefing launched on World Mental Health Day a series of free wellbeing webinars for those agitating and advocating for rights and justice.