28.09.2023
News
Kenya

Right Livelihood Award to Phyllis Omido from KIOS long-term grantee CJGEA

Phyllis Omido, the founder and Executive Director of our long-standing grantee, the Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA), is one of this year’s Right Livelihood Laureates. Omido is being honoured for her efforts in protecting the environmental and land rights of East African communities.

03.07.2023
News

KIOS and Siemenpuu join ALLIED Coalition

KIOS and its sister Siemenpuu Foundation recently joined the Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders ALLIED. ALLIED is an international alliance of organisations, which works to support and enhance the protection of environmental defenders.

22.06.2023
News
Kenya
Uganda
Sri Lanka
Other countries

LGBTIQA+ Activists in the Spotlight during Helsinki Pride Week

During Helsinki Pride Week LGBTIQA+ activists from the Global South will give their own perspectives of the situation in their countries. On Wednesday 28 June activists from Kenya and Sri Lanka will be live on Instagram. On Thursday 29 June there will be a live screening of the documentary Under the Kenyan Rainbow and a discussion with activists from different parts of Africa in Helsinki.

25.05.2023
News

Interview with Winnie Masai at the World Village Festival

Winnie Masai from KIOS’s partner organisation InformAction will be interviewed at the World Village Festival in Helsinki. The programme “From underdogs to a force for change” will be streamed online on Saturday 27 May at 12:10 pm EET at the festival website.

15.02.2023
News

New Board of Directors appointed

KIOS Board of Directors for the year 2023 has been appointed. Ms. Auli Starcks continues as Chair of the Board …

20.01.2023
News

Statement: The KIOS Foundation stands with LGBTIQ+ activists

The KIOS Foundation stands in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons across the globe. We are proud to fund activists fighting for LGBTIQ+ rights in East Africa and South Asia.

16.09.2022
News

The KIOS 2021 Annual Report has been published

The KIOS Annual Report 2021 shows how activists managed to continue their human rights work, even in the situation where Covid-19 pandemic was still ongoing. Last year, KIOS funded 41 human rights projects of programmes in East Africa and South Asia.

05.08.2022
News
Kenya

Elections in Kenya are being waited with bated breath

The elections to be held next week have already increased the amount of fake news spreading online. Kenya has often seen violence after the election results. The organisation that reports on election violence says that it is especially concerned about the violence directed at the demonstrators by the police.

01.07.2022
News

Love is Legal

The decriminalization of homosexuality has and would affect the position of the LGBTIQ+ community in Finland and around the world. Two activists from Finland and Kenya tell us how.

16.06.2022
News

How do we treat the environment as a human right?

The seminar organised by the KIOS Foundation and the Siemenpuu Foundation discussed, among other things, green colonialism, the rights of indigenous peoples and the safety of activists.

03.05.2022
News

Open call for grant proposals from Nepal

KIOS is opening a call for human rights grant proposals for organisations in Nepal. The focus is on gender equality, non-discrimination and the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Smaller organisations with limited funding opportunities are encouraged to apply.

17.02.2022
News

KIOS joins campaign calling for the UN to open its doors to NGOs

Too often authoritarian states are denying human rights organisations entry to UN debates. KIOS has joined a global campaign that calls for states to take civil society participation seriously when they vote for new members to the UN body that controls NGO accreditations.

21.01.2022
News

New faces at the KIOS office

KIOS warmly welcomes our new staff members Kati Ruskola, Julia Koskinen, Nora Luoma and Lotta Jokinen. Ms. Kati Ruskola started …

15.10.2021
News

KIOS Annual Report 2020 published

KIOS Annual Report 2020 shows how activists managed to continue their human rights work, even in the midst of a pandemic. Last year, KIOS funded 40 human rights projects of programs in East Africa and South Asia.

02.06.2021
News

Has the Era of Human Rights Passed?

Watch the recording of Mr. Maina Kiai’s talk at the World Village Festival! Former UN Special Rapporteur Mr. Maina Kiai …

24.06.2020
News
Nepal

Dalits in Nepal amid lockdown

The  national lockdown in Nepal has caused an immense downfall in people’s livelihoods. The Dalit community is one of the …

24.04.2020
News

KIOS Annual Report 2019 published

The annual report for 2019 of the KIOS Foundation presents our achievements from last year. In many countries, 2019 was …

26.03.2020
News

Message to our partners during coronavirus (COVID-19)

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading across the world and affecting all of us, KIOS is working to see how we can best support our partners in a flexible way and weather this crisis together.

16.03.2020
News

KIOS office is working remotely

KIOS has been preparing for the coronavirus outbreak in Finland by deciding to do remote work as much as possible. …

06.03.2020
News

Meet six women defending human rights

In our new video series Defending rights six brave women human rights defenders share their stories and tell about their work towards justice and equality.

18.09.2019
Blog

Mary Lawlor: Human rights defenders are agents of social change

Since the 1970s, the human rights situation has improved in many countries, but not everywhere. Every country has its own human rights challenges. To face these challenges, the role of human rights defenders (HRDs) is crucial, writes Mary Lawlor.

10.09.2019
News

Women human rights defenders in Helsinki: “Stand by us”

Brave women from around the world visited Helsinki at the end of August to share their experiences in being human rights defenders. They also offered their advice on how Finland and the EU could support human rights defenders more effectively.

23.08.2019
News
Regional Projects

Supporting human rights defenders in Burundi

Since the political crisis in Burundi started in 2015, most human rights defenders have been forced to flee the country to avoid persecution. With the help of DefendDefenders, Burundian defenders in exile have pushed the UN to investigate violations in Burundi.

29.01.2019
News

20th anniversary publication out

KIOS’ new publication “From little things big things grow” invites you to join in our celebration of the 20th anniversary …

28.06.2018
News

KIOS on holiday in July

KIOS office will be closed during the last two weeks of July (from the 16th to 27th July). The office …

16.02.2018
News

KIOS Call for Proposals 2018

The KIOS call for proposals has opened on the 14th February. The deadline for reception of the applications is 20th …

28.02.2017
News
Other countries

New KIOS Board of Directors Elected

The founding organizations of KIOS Foundation elected new KIOS Board of Directors for the next two years. The newly elected …

10.11.2015
News

Burundi’s Crisis Alarming

Burundi has fallen into a domestic political chaos over the past year after the current President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his …

14.08.2012
News

Post-evaluation of KIOS funded projects

KIOS has published a study called “KIOS-funded projects and development in human rights – results from post-evaluation questionnaires”.

01.02.2012
News

New address

KIOS office has moved to new premises. From 27 February 2012 onward our new address is: Lintulahdenkatu 10, 00500 Helsinki …

11.08.2011
News

KIOS Partners’ Regional Conference held in Kampala

The KIOS Partners’ regional conference jointly organised by EHAHRDP and the Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights (KIOS) brought together KIOS partners from six focus countries in Eastern Africa.

03.03.2011
News

KIOS’ strategy for 2011—2015

KIOS’ new strategy for 2011—2015 was approved by KIOS’ Board meeting 16th December 2010 and entered into force from the …

02.03.2011
News

The Executive Board appointed for 2011

Founding organizations have appointed KIOS’ Board for 2011. Chairman: Anne Romar, Kepa Vice-Chairman: Jani Seikkula, Finnish Refugee Council Board Members 2011 Jussi …

09.02.2011
News
Kenya

KIOS – YAK Partnership Programme: Encouraging Outcomes from the Evaluation

KIOS – Youth Alive! Kenya Partnership Programme has been a success from the point of view of its stakeholders: KIOS, YAK and the participating groups, points out an evaluation carried out recently. The evaluation recommends that KIOS and YAK continue implementing the Programme also in the future.

01.04.2010
News
Nepal

Towards a more Equal Nepal with WOREC

Women and women human rights defenders are widely discriminated against in Nepal, even by male human rights defenders. Since 2006, KIOS’ project partner WOREC has with KIOS’ support improved the status of women human rights defenders and women’s rights in general.

15.09.2009
News
Kenya

Youth Alive! Kenya and KIOS launch a new partnership programme

Youth Alive! Kenya and KIOS have rolled out a new partnership programme that aims to identify and support community based human rights groups to harness their full potential and become key human rights actors in their region and ultimately nationally.

01.06.2009
News
Kenya

FAMEC is Bringing Women’s Rights Home in Kenya

Communities and their rules affect Maasai women’s life much more than Kenyan legislation. The communities follow patriarchal traditions, due to which women are not expected to participate in community decision-making.

25.05.2009
News

KIOS at World Village Festival 2009

KIOS participated at the World Village Festival 23rd to 24th May 2009 in Helsinki, Finland. This year KIOS’ exhibited a …

30.04.2009
News

KIOS Annual Report 2008 published

The Summary highlights the most important activities of the foundation in 2008, including information on project funding, project monitoring and organisational development work.

29.01.2009
News

The Executive Board appointed for 2009

The eleven founder organisations of KIOS have nominated their representatives to the KIOS Executive Board for the year 2009. The newly appointed Executive Board had its first meeting of the year on 28 January 2009.

01.01.2009
News
Uganda

IMLU Fights against Torture in Kenya with KIOS’ Support

In Kenya, politically motivated torture exists especially in police cells and prisons. The victims of torture are often poor or unemployed, and because of their status, unable to demand for their rights.

13.12.2008
News

KIOS celebrated its 10-year anniversary

KIOS celebrated its 10-year anniversary on 12th December in Helsinki. Anniversary was celebrated by all three foundations funding civil societies’ projects in developing countries.

22.11.2008
News
Nepal

Renu Rajbhandari: Globally, the Core Questions are the Same

Women’s Rehabilitation Center Nepal (WOREC) is a non-governmental organization combatting HIV/AIDS and trafficking in human beings, and promoting the rights of women and children. WOREC seeks to strengthen the actors at grassroots level as well as affect legal and political reforms.

15.11.2008
News
Kenya

Odindo Opiata: “Are we working for people or with people?”

Economic and Social Rights Centre Hakijamii is one of the few organizations in Kenya promoting economic and social rights. Hakijamii aims to promote the rights of slums’ inhabitants in Nairobi and Kisumu among others by training, campaigning and doing information work.

07.11.2008
News
Uganda

Peace T. Kyamureku: “How can a 13 year old be a mother when she herself is still a child?”

National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU) is one of the biggest women organisations in Uganda. NAWOU has had an important role in drafting the new Ugandan constitution, which takes account of gender equality remarkably well. KIOS met NAWOU’s executive director Peace T. Kyamureku, who is one of the most known human rights defenders in Uganda.

26.05.2008
News

KIOS at World Village Festival

KIOS participated for the second time in World Village Festival in Helsinki 24th to 25th May 2008. At the festival …

27.03.2008
News

KIOS Annual Report 2007 published

KIOS has published the English Summary of its Annual Report 2007. The Summary highlights the most important activities of the foundation in 2007, including information on project funding, project monitoring and organisational development work.

26.02.2008
News

Geographical funding priorities for 2008

For 2007-2008 KIOS prioritizes applications coming from the following countries in Eastern Africa and South Asia: Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, Kenya, …

31.01.2008
News
Nepal

HimRights and PPCC Protect the Right to Education in Armed Conflict

Children’s rights, especially their right to education, were widely violated during the armed conflict between Maoist insurgents and security forces in Nepal in 1996—2006. Schools were used as base camps, destroyed or closed for long periods of time, and young students were recruited into insurgent forces.

15.01.2008
News

JCSER Defends and Promotes the Human Rights of Palestinian People

In 2006, Palestinian Jerusalemite Nasser applied for a family reunification permit from the Israeli Ministry of the Interior. A few months after submitting the application, Nasser and his wife, who holds a West Bank ID card, were stopped in East Jerusalem by Israeli police.

01.01.2008
News
Uganda

ACTV Works towards a Uganda Free of Torture

Authorities in charge of security are widely using torture in Uganda. Government officials have admitted the use of torture, despite international conventions against torture. KIOS’ supported ACTV works both with victims of torture and with authorities using torture in order to prevent its use. ACTV has reached visible results through its work.

01.10.2007
News

KIOS seminar on HRBA in Helsinki 27.-28.9.07

KIOS organized a seminar and workshop on human rights based approach to development in Helsinki in the end of September. The seminar day included presentations on the human rights based approach in comparison with needs based development work.

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